The Amazing Bucket Head

My son has been running around the last few days with a bucket on his head. I am not sure why, but he seems to be happier when he has the bucket on his head. Oh, the simple joys of life.

What a Blessing!!

I am happy to announce that finally after a year and a half of working towards our goal, we have now been able to afford for me to stay home with Asher full time and also watch children before and after school part time for a little extra income. I will start staying home with him full time starting Oct. 13th. I am really looking forward to it, but I know that it is also going to require some patience. Please pray for our family as we embark on a new path in our lives. I will blog about the first day home with him. I know it will be fun, and I know it will be tons of fun.

"fort"

As previously promised, here are a few pictures of Asher playing in his "fort".

Such a happy boy!

I love my gorilla!

Where's Asher?

I have the best husband in the world

He grabbed the camera from me....yeah, this was the outcome!

I like this picture A LOT!

Smile!

Okay, for real this time! Isn't he adorable!

Patience isn't something we should pray for it is something that is learned over a period of time.

Well, I am sitting here at the dinning room table and writing this. Why the dinning room you ask, well, even though it is still in the middle of the house and I can still hear what is going on, I feel as though I can think more in this place. I am sitting here while my son is in his high chair eating lunch (yes, I know he is late, but he was asleep while the rest of us were eating our lunch) and looking out the backyard window and talking to me while I write this.
I have learned over the past couple weeks, now more than ever, that patience is not something that comes when you pray for it, or even something that comes when you want it too. I am not the most patient person in the world, I will admit that. I am working on being patient, but one thing that you CANNOT pray for is patience, those of you who have done it, know what I mean, those of you that don't, well....pray for patience and you will see what I mean.
There have been so many things that have gone on in our family over the last couple months that have caused me to come to this conclusion.
Sunday School....I will expound. I was kind of "roped" into doing Sunday School for the 4th,5th, and 6th Graders even when I specifically said "no"!
Asher...God told us to wait on answers for his heath issues even when I wanted to know what was going on right then. (And I still don't know all the answers, and am tryng to deal with that.)
Work.....There was big possibility that I would loose my job due to the hospital stay with Asher. I also have a very difficult boss. Thank Goodness that I could go down to part time, but it is still hard and very trying having to deal with him on a daily basis.
Kids.....I am learning VERY quickly why we only have one now. I don't handle attitudes and "fits" very well, and they happen on a daily basis ALL time around here latley. (those of you that know the situation will know what I am talking about)

Maybe I am just venting or PMSing or something, but I kind of feel a little better having said that, but still would appreciate prayer as I hit these "obstacles" head on.

Can't think of a title...but we are going to church tomorrow.....yeah

I am sitting here while Kent and Jonathan are watching "Empire Records", not really paying much attention to the movie, but enjoy being in the same room as Kent, so it's all good. All the kids are in bed, and I SHOULD be, but yeah, I'm not!
Well, as many of you know, I am no longer the Assistant Manager of Gold Toe anymore, but rather just part time sales, so I am able to spend more time with Asher. Well, so with that being said I was home all day with him today, and it was a good day all in all. He had a fever this afternoon, soI gave him a little Motrin and then when I checked it in about 2 hours, it was still there, and so then I gave him some Tylenol. After that, he was really tired, so I put him down for a nap. I don't know how long he was down before he threw up, but he did. When he got up from his nap, I changed him, and let him play for a little bit and he seemed to be fine. I don't know what it was, maybe just a bug, I don't know anymore. I don't want to say, because he has done that before and it wasn't just a bug, so I don't know. I am hoping that it is not a sign that whatever is wrong with him is getting worse, but I don't know. Please just pray. I know that I am saying "I don't know" alot, but it seems like it's just one thing after another. I hope that this will all be resolved soon, but only God knows. I know that He has a plan, and He will magnify himself through that plan, I just don't know what my role is. I am, however, eager to see how God is going to use this in our ministry for Him. I already know that God will be able to use this for good in Asher's testimony when he is older, and so I am really excited about that.

A happier note....as I am working part time, I did have to work tonight for a few hours, but let the kids play "fort"/make a fort out of my dinning room chairs. They had a lot of fun. So did Asher. It was his first fort, and he loved it. I have pictures and will post them soon. Please keep on the lookout.

Well, I am getting tired, so I am going to go to bed know. Good night!

Birthday Party fun.

Her tinkerbell shoes....

The little "tink" skirt that Kent and I got her.

And the stamp set...

More Please!!

As many of you know we have a family living with us, well, the other night we had a birthday party for the youngest one (who turned 7 on Thursday). Our meal consisded of Grilled Chicken and Macaroni N Cheese with cake for dessert. We followed that up by opening presents. Here are a few pics that I wanted to share.

Spagetti Fun

I got brave for dinner the other night and decided to give him the spaghetti with the sauce this time.....yeah, this is what I found....

To Timeout of not to timeout......

Well, not only are we dealing with Asher saying "no" but we are also dealing with him now slapping people. As many of you know we have a family of 7 living with us right now, we were all sitting in the living room after dinner and just talking and Asher was just walking around the living room talking and jabbering up a storm, and all of a sudden slapped the smallest little girl.....who is only 6 (will be 7 on Thursday). Yeah, that wasn't tolerated. I went and picked him up and smacked him on his hand an told him no. He started the "waterworks" and didn't want to have anything to do with me. This was about 5:45 and so as I was walking back to his room with him, I was talking to him and explaining to him that those where the consequences of his actions and he was going to be in his room in a time out until daddy got home (which was only about 15 min. later.). He screamed the whole time...when daddy finally got home at 6:00, I went and got Asher out of his room and took him to daddy. He was still screaming, and once he settled down, was whimpering for a long time. Daddy took him and had a very long converstaion with him and explained that we don't hit, and that when we do there are consequences. I don't think we have completley nipped the whole slapping in the bud, but we are getting there.

Just the beginning....

Well....we went to the doctor today and were told that we have to go for a follow up appointment in 6 weeks, and go for a CBC in a month from today. They had not recieved the discharge from the hospital so the doctor is waiting for that, but one of the things that he doctor told us that the EBV that he was diagnosed with is not only part of the herpesvirus, but it also can cause certain leukemia's in children. Comforting huh? The dr. also told us that the drs. at A.I. Dupont were really baffled at his netropenia. His levels were so low that there was major concern and there still is some concern, so that is why we are going back for a follow up and also more bloodwork. When the dr. said that EBV (Epstein-Barr Virus) can lead to certain luekemia's in cildren. So, pretty much, we are at the beginning of all these tests. Ugh. Please pray.

The color yellow!!!

Well, as many of you know Asher was on "reverse isolation" when he was at the hospital (to protect him). So, because of that, every one of the nurses and doctors that came in had to wear a yellow gown. So, it got to the point that as soon as they would walk in the room, even before they do anything to him, he would scream.

Kent and would joke about him being scarred for life, but I am truly concerned that he is going to be scarred of the color yellow and not know why he has a fear. Same with hospitals, I am afraid he is going to have a fear of them and not know why.

Sooo tired and lots of randomness!

Well, yeah, we are home and our good friends just got in town. They are staying with us until they find a place, so yeah, we have a houseful, but it's what God wants us to do and so by that we chose to honor him in doing so and even though they haven't been here very long, we are really enjoying this ministry that we can do.

So, with that being said, we got home from the hospital yesterday about 4:30 and I am soo exhausted, but was VERY thankful that I was in my own bed last night. It was a VERY long week, and I never thought I would see the end, but by God's grace and Asher's quick healing due to numerous pray chains, our stay was shortened by two days. God is AWESOME that way huh?

Asher has learned a new word now. The infamous "no". He says it all the time and when he doesn't want to do something he will tell me "no". We are working on trying to break him of that habit quickly. Also, he has started slapping you. Yeah, that we are also nipping in the bud. Although it's cute sometimes, we just have to keep reminding ourselves that if we let it go it will become more hard to break him of later. He also gives "high fives". That is cute, let me tell you. (that is one of the things that the dr. and all the nurses taught him during our "fun" 6 day stay at the hospital.

Asher is doing much better, although still home with me as he is still having diarehha A LOT. Thank you for all your prayers! They are greatly appreciated.

We are home now!

Well, we are home now. Yay! It's been a LONG week! Asher was diagnosed with EBV/Nutropenia/Diarehha. I am just glad that it wasn't something even more serious. There was a serious concern for luekemia, but I am really, really glad he doesn't have it.Thank you all for your prayers, and I ask that they continue as we are at home now on the road to recovery.

FINALLY....and end in sight

Well, the doctor came in this morning, and told us that he has EBV....now that is also the same virus that causes Mono. Now, I know what you're thinking....how does a 15 month old catch Mono...yeah, I don't know if that is what he has specifically, but it is the same virus, so the question that we have for the doctor is whether or not he will ever get Mono again, because my understanding is that once you get it, you don't get it again.

It's nice to finally have a diagnosis. The doctor was kind of suspicious that that is what it was when we brought him in because of the fact that he had had a fever for three weeks, but they just kept him here and ran all sorts of tests to rule EVERYTHING else out.

Thank you VERY much to all those who kept us in your prayers, and we ask that those prayers continue even after the diagnosis, as we aren't sure how long he is going to have this virus or what effects the antibiotics are going to have on him.

That is all for now. We are going to be going home tomorrow night or Tuesday morning.

The power of prayer is AMAZING!!!!

Finally, we are approching what might be the end of all this horriblness. Because of the "issues" with the IV and all that, they just went ahead and drew his blood last night, and cancelled his 5 am labs this morning. As you may know, the whole reason for all this craziness was because his Neutrophil (ANC) levels were dangerously low/non-existant (below100 when the ideal is 1000).When the doctor came in this morning and informed us that his ANC was 1453 we were ecstatic. What I think is going to happen is that they are know going to do the labs/bloodwork to see why his ANC dropped so low. Please continue to pray for this situation, and I want to Thank SOO much, those of you who have been praying and put him on your prayer chain. I think (well, I know without a shadow of a doubt) God truly had His hand on Asher through this whole situation.I will keep you updated with any more news, but in the meantime please continue prayer.

Asher has been stuck 7 times alone today!!!!....

Well, as you may have guessed, we are still in the hospital, not leaving until at least wednesday. They tried today (after the second time today) to get an IV in him, and were unsuccessful. He has had at least 2 IV's a day since he has been here just since Tuesday. They couldn't find any veins this second time, well they could, but it is in his foot, and because he is walking they don't want to put it there. So, as you can guess it is getting quite frustrating. he either sweats them out or they just don't stay in for one reason or the other. So, that being said e are going to talk to the doctor and see if there are any other options available to get fluids and meds to him, as clearly the veins aren't there anymore. So, as you keep the many tests they are running on him in prayer, please also pray that they will finally get an IV in him, and find a successful place to do it, and that it will stay in for more than 24 hrs.

Asher is out of surgery and resting comfortably.

We are now back up in Asher's room, he came out of surgery just fine. They did a bone marrow aspareth (sp?) and bone marrow biopsy. We will not get the full results until some time next week, but we will get the results of the blood smear later this afternoon.They have not done his labs as of yet, but will do those today maybe, tomorrow for sure. They are still concerned about his neutrophil levels as they are still dangerously low. So, please just continue to pray that God's will be done in this situation, and He will be glorified in this whole situation. We don't know what God is planning, but we know that His plan is perfect, and knows the outcome.

update-we are also in a new room

Well, now we were just told that there is a great possibility that we won't be out of here by the weekend. We were just updated, and this is what we were told.....The doctor came in about an hour and a half ago, and told us that his neutrophil count was still really low. It was higher than yesterday, but he is still very concerned because it is still low. They are also going to do a bone marrow on him tomorrow under general anesthesia. (I am really scared to have my baby put to sleep, but I know that it is for his own good). Basically what they are looking for is any types of luekemia/cancer (yes, they used the scary words.) The GI Specialist just came in and is fairly confident that he has a reflux disease. So they are going to have to keep him on medication like Previcid or something similar. They have taken him totally of juice, fruits (he can have bananas)....basically he is on the brat diet. Well, my son has made a reputation for himself around the hospital already as "the incredible hulk". It takes like 5-6 nurses just to take blood, that is not even for his IV....which they are coming back very shortly to put back in. He is not only a hard person to get blood from his blood clots very easily, so there are a lot of times that he has to be pricked a lot more than usual.Well, please continue to pray, and now there is something that is more specific to pray for.

We are also in a new room due to the negative pressure in the room we were in. That room is designed for patients with TB and because of that has negative pressure and causes that "dust bunnies" to curculate more, so we are in a different room that is better for him and his nuetropenia. It is still in 3E, but room 3 instead of 7. We also have a new number. That is 1-302-651-5034

Update....yes we are still here at the hospital and probably not going home any time soon.

Well, now we were just told that there is a great possibility that we won't be out of here by the weekend. We were just updated, and this is what we were told.....The doctor came in about an hour and a half ago, and told us that his neutrophil count was still really low. It was higher than yesterday, but he is still very concerned because it is still low. They are also going to do a bone marrow on him tomorrow under general anesthesia. (I am really scared to have my baby put to sleep, but I know that it is for his own good). Basically what they are looking for is any types of luekemia/cancer (yes, they used the scary words.) The GI Specialist just came in and is fairly confident that he has a reflux disease. So they are going to have to keep him on medication like Previcid or something similar. They have taken him totally of juice, fruits (he can have bananas)....basically he is on the brat diet. Well, my son has made a reputation for himself around the hospital already as "the incredible hulk". It takes like 5-6 nurses just to take blood, that is not even for his IV....which they are coming back very shortly to put back in. He is not only a hard person to get blood from his blood clots very easily, so there are a lot of times that he has to be pricked a lot more than usual.Well, please continue to pray, and now there is something that is more specific to pray for.

still at the hospital......

We are still in the hospital, with no end in sigh it seems. The doctor just came in not to long ago and did tell us that the neutrophils that were there yesterday, which were only 168 is even less, 82. So he is still in the danger zone and still keeps to be gradully getting less and less. The good news is that the doctor was able to get Asher's blood test that was ordered by the pediatrician on the 12th and saw that his neutrophil count was normal (1000) so what that means is that is not something he was born with but rather a very serious viral thing. One of the many things they are looking for is a thing called cyclic (don't know how to spell it) nuetropenia, which means that every 6 weeks like clock work his nuetrophils drop to almost zero and then go back up and then in 6 weeks go back down again, and so the cycle continues. They are also trying to rule EVERYTHING out. They even used the scary words, luekemia and cancer. They don't seem to think that is what it is, but we are hoping and praying that is not the case.
Will keep you updated on the status.

Hospital Stay at Dupont

As I sit (at 3 am on Tuesday Morning) here watching Asher play in his "medal house" it's basically a huge crib that looks like a jail cell, I think back on all the events of the day. We are currently on the 3rd floor up here at A. I. Dupont with probably a "indefinite" stay.
We were admitted to this room at 10 am on Monday morning (though it seems like we have been here much longer) for Asher's very swollen finger, which at the time they thought was some kind of blood, skin or bone infection (which they have since ruled all that out, which is a relief.) and also his very low count of Nuetrophils (his are only 1/6th of what they need to be. The ideal count is 1000 and his are less than 200 which makes him very very susceptible to any infections or anything. So for now they have him on what they call reverse isolation. Basically what that means is that any doctors or nurses that come in have to put a gown on with gloves, just to get anywhere near him, also any visitors that we have need to scrub up and sanatize thier hands before even walking through the door. It is really scary, but at the same time I am feeling a little relief at the fact that they will hopefully find out some kind of answers to him haveing so many fevers and such a low neutrophil count by Thursday at the earliest (which would also be the earliest that we could go home). They are running a series of blood tests on him in order to find the source of the problem, but right now we are playing the "hurry up and wait" game. In the meantime. we would welcome any visitors or phone calls. We are in A.I.Dupont 3E room 7, the phone number for our room is 1-302-651-5431
As we find our more, I will update accordingly.
Prayer welcomed and encouraged.

No news is good news.....(but at least it's news/answers right)?

We, yet again, spent the night in the ER. Asher had a fever of 103.5 when I got to him so when we got to the ER it was 105.3. We didn't go by ambulance this time, I took him. I was wanting to avoid him having another seizure, so I decided it best (after talking to a close friend that is an EMT) to go ahead and take him in to the hospital.They took several x-rays and drew some blood, and urine. His urine came back fine. Although the blood tests that they did, came back with high leukocytes or white blood cells and no Neutrophil (defend against bacterial or fungal infection and other very small inflammatory processes that are usually first responders to microbial infection). So this led the ER Dr. to want to run some more blood tests to find the source of the problem, of course, Asher wouldn't have anything to do with that because they had already "stuck a tube" up into his bladder to collect urine, and taken blood for the first test. So, unfortunatley, they were not able to get enough blood to do the tests. I am going to request that they do that bloodwork when I go see his regular pediatrician tomorrow.Now you might be asking yourself, "why do they need to do more bloodwork", well, because there are two main serious viruses that they are wanting to check him for. CMV -which if you check out this website below gives you more information than I ever could.(http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/cytomegalovirus/fact_sheet.htm)and/orEBV-check out this website for answers as well. (which the doctor informed me this is the virus that could also potentially cause mono)http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/ebv.htm
Right now this is all we know, but as soon as we get more blood drawn and find out why his leukocytes are elevated, and he has no neutrophil I will keep you updated.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_blood_cell (here is the website the talks about leukocytes vs. neutrophil)